Chase Osgood, Warren Guards, Co. H, 10th PA Reserves,
Sept. 5, 1862 [Warren Mail: 9-13-1862]
Carver Hospital, Washington, D.C. –
Friend Cowan: As the Warren Guards have had no mail accommodations for the past month, I will send you a brief statement of our wanderings. We left Harrison’s Landing, Va., Friday evening, Aug. 15, by steamboat Forest City, and steamed down James River to Fortress Monroe, which we reached Saturday about noon. As we lay there until nearly night, Monday, we had an opportunity of visiting the Fort and seeing the elephant.
Monday evening we steamed out into the Chesapeake, and proceeded up the Bay and Potomac River to Acquia Creek, which we reached about noon on Tuesday; took the cars to Fredericksburg, and camped near there on the east of the Rappahannock that afternoon. Thursday evening we again started out and marched to Warrenton, Va., via Rappahannock Station on the Alexandria and Orange Railroad. As we passed through that place the Railroad Bridge was on fire, also our Commissary stores, and the rebels threw a few shells across the river at us.
We arrived at Warrenton on Sunday, Aug. 24. Tuesday afternoon we marched to the vicinity of the Bull Run battle-field. We were engaged in reconnoissances [sic] on Wednesday and Thursday, but met with nothing worthy of note until Friday, 29th. During that day we were under the enemy’s fire several times – running onto one of their masked batteries at one time, but escaped with slight loss. No casualties in Co. H, excepting Lewis B. Kearn, of Elk township, slightly wounded in the arm by a grape shot.
Friday night our regiment stood picket within a short distance of the rebel lines, but were not disturbed by them. Saturday morning we fell back and took our position in line of battle. About 3 o’clock, P.M., the engagement opened near us, and the “Bloody Tenth” was called in. We were supporting one battery, and were shortly ordered to charge on the rebels, who were advancing on it. We advanced and gave them a portion of the contents our cartridge boxes, but were shortly ordered to fall back. About that time I was wounded, and made my way to the rear, consequently I am unable to give further particulars of the movements of our regiment during the fighting. I saw several of our men Monday afternoon, Sept. 1, and received the following list of casualties in Saturday’s fight, viz:
Lieut. Henry B. Fox, killed by a shot in the head.
Capt. Daniel W. Mayes, slightly wounded.
John Hurley, wounded in the breast.
Chase Osgood, wounded in the leg.
Daniel F. Robinson, wounded in the hand.
William S. Winchester, wounded in the thumb.
I believe the wounded all got safely off the field, and are now well cared for, and doing well.
Yours, &c.,
Chase Osgood.
